MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Here in Washington, D.C, President Biden did not want to end his bid for reelection, but he said the stakes were just too high to risk it.
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PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I believe my record as President, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merited a second term, but nothing - nothing - can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition, so I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The President spoke of his decision to step aside, and also asserted that he still has work to do in his final six months behind the Oval Office desk, from which he addressed the nation.
MARTIN: Joining us now to talk more about this is NPR's senior White House correspondent, Tamara Keith. Up again early after a long night, Tam?
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Yeah. Good morning.
MARTIN: Thanks for doing that. So what was Biden trying to accomplish with this address?
KEITH: Well, this was a monumental moment for Biden, marking the end - or at least the beginning of the end - of a very long career in public life, and his family sat lining the walls of the Oval Office as he spoke - the First Lady, his grandkids, his kids. He spoke, as Steve said, from behind the resolute desk, this place of very serious presidential addresses, and this was about explaining the very difficult decision he made to step aside, and putting it in a noble light. He was also making an appeal to the American people to think about what kind of country they want. At the very end, Biden delivered this emotional expression of gratitude, saying that he had given his heart and soul to the nation over 50 years in public life, and has been blessed with the love and support of the American people.
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BIDEN: I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you. The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule - the people do.
KEITH: This wasn't the place for the overtly political language you would here at a campaign rally, so he never said former President Trump's name, but the subtext was quite clear.
MARTIN: It was clear, but, you know, this speech had the feeling of a farewell address, Tam, but he still has six months left in office. What did he say he wants to do with the time he has left?
KEITH: You know, it really felt like the oxygen drained out of his presidency when he announced he was dropping out of the race for reelection, but practically speaking, this term was already in a lame-duck phase. His biggest achievements happened before Democrats lost control of the House in 2023, so a lot of what he can do in these final months is implementation - distributing funds for infrastructure and climate projects, cementing regulations. He's said he is going to keep fighting for reproductive rights and civil rights. He's going to keep working on the economy and trying to lower costs, and he'll speak out against extremism and political violence, and, of course, he is still trying very hard to get a cease-fire-for-hostages deal in Gaza.
MARTIN: Tam, we don't have a lot of time to talk about this, but at the end of the day, how do you think his legacy will be defined?
KEITH: Well, you know, there's been a lot of praise from Democrats about Biden's selflessness since his announcement on Sunday, but the real judgment comes in November. By realizing he needed to step aside at this very late date, he foreclosed any possibility of a real primary. Right now, Democrats are very excited about Vice President Harris as the likely nominee, but this race is still very close. If Harris wins, Biden will be remembered as the rare president who put his party and country ahead of his ego. If she loses, then he is both the person who removed Trump from office and ushered him back in.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Tamara Keith, waking up early again after another late night. Tam, thank you.
KEITH: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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